28.10 - Day 287 - Bilbao, ESP
Monday 28th October - Bilbao, Spain (Day 287)
The week starts not just with schoolwork as it usually does but checking Royal Mail and Correos websites to track where a set of house keys are. Bron has generously offered her parents holiday house near-ish Bordeaux and Dean had sent the keys last Wednesday from London addressed to our Atxuri Apartments here in Bilbao. He was told 3-5 days - it’s been 3 and we can see they left the UK on Thursday but there’s been no updates on the tracked envelope since then. Armed with a spiel written out through google translate I try the local post office, but they tell me (well, they type it into my phone) it’s not even in Madrid yet. We wait.
After a Lidl shop and school work we set out to walk a loop of Bilbao. Down along the fast (brown) flowing river we walk heading into the train station to view an impressive and oversized stained glass window.
Onwards to Azkura Zention Alhondiga Bilbao - a Philip Starck designed cultural centre which has brick buildings held up on 47 wide, themed, columns all contained within a large shell of a building.
Amongst others, it includes a swimming pool and art gallery, but more importantly, a library. Sienna and Seb tackle a few jigsaws laid out before sniffing out the English books to read through for a while.
Next to them I spy some VR goggles which we all have a turn using - they’re to drop you in seven artworks by Silvia Sanchez artworks brought to life.
I never cease to be amazed at what you can find in cities / towns that are unusual, free and interesting to all beyond any big name attractions.
When we’re back outside, across the road in a small play park eating our picnic lunch I’m also amazed at how cold everyone thinks it is - people in thick trench coats whilst Sen and I are still in shorts.
We briefly visit the Museum of Fine Arts which has Picasso (Sienna scores it 6 out of 10) and Goya in one room and then oversized triangular balloons in the next. As odd as the balloons were as least they weren't disturbing like the two slowly spinning gentlemen in the main foyer hanging from their tongues.
This brings us to outside the Guggenheim museum which we’ve got tickets for tomorrow, but Sienna and Seb do appreciate the huge puppy covered in flowers and grass outside the front.
Crossing back over a bridge to the north side the kids make a beeline for a play park with small hillocks to play sharks and desert islands on.
Once we drag them off we head to the funicular nearby, only a 4-5 minute steep ride, but gains enough elevation for sweeping views over the city including our apartment block.
Back at the bottom we jump on the tram which takes us 80% of the way home in time for dinner back at the apartment.